1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a control apparatus for a motor-assisted bicycle, which increases the drivability of the motor-assisted bicycle when the motor-assisted bicycle switches from an assistive control process to a regenerative control process.
2. Description of Background Art Japanese Patent No. 3642364 referred to below discloses that a bicycle with assistive power is assisted by energizing a motor to generate an assistive force depending on a pedaling torque applied to a crankshaft. The motor is controlled to switch to a regenerated state if a detected peak of the pedaling torque is smaller than a pedaling torque determined depending on the vehicle speed of the bicycle.
According to the technology disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3642364, if the peak of the pedaling torque applied to the crankshaft is smaller than a pedaling torque determined depending on the vehicle speed of the motor-assisted bicycle (predetermined pedaling torque), then the motor immediately regenerates electric power and charges a battery with the regenerated electric power. Therefore, when the predetermined pedaling torque is reached, the crankshaft abruptly undergoes a regenerative friction, posing a large load on the rider of the motor-assisted bicycle and making the rider experience a strange feeling.